Friday, May 17, 2019

Tokyo Transportation, Part 2: Buses and Trains


Buses and trains are everywhere around Tokyo. The safest thing for a newcomer is to use a route planning app on your phone. They also sell prepaid transit system "chipped" cards that work on both buses and trains. Your remaining card balance shows on a little screen as you scan through a turnstile.

It is a convenient way to travel, but just be ready for crowded conditions. You might end up standing as you ride but don't worry...you won't fall when packed in like a sardine in a can. We've only experienced that situation once, because we walk almost everywhere we need to go. The Tokyo electric rail system is great and the signage in the stations are pretty clear...if you can read Japanese!

Some of the express trains zip through the stations at amazingly fast speeds. We won't likely take the time to ride the famous Shinkansen or "bullet train", which goes about 200 mph. (Not pictured below!)




The buses drive on some pretty narrow streets and yet they always manage to politely share the road with other vehicles as well as bicycles.



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